L.A. County Public Works officials are asking the public to help them find a sensitive and potentially dangerous piece of construction equipment that went missing last week - but if you find it, be very careful!
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
It is described as a yellow device about the size of a shoebox - 19 inches long, 9 inches wide, and 6 inches tall, and a 5-inch handle, with language written on it indicating that it is radioactive.
LA DPW
Now, on a scale of X-ray to Chornobyl, it's more of an X-ray level of radiation, but it is still unsafe if mishandled.
Kerjon Lee, with L.A. County Public Works, told KNX News reporter Emily Valdez, "It's only dangerous if someone tries to break into it or if it's mishandled in some way."
"By trained technician, there's little to no risk. But of course, if it was damaged when it fell off the truck, or if someone tries to explore what's inside it, there is a small piece of radiological material that if someone was to handle it, they could get sick," Lee said.
He said the device uses low levels of radiation to measure the thickness of roadway asphalt, but a protective lead-lining shield covers that portion of the tool.
The device was in the back of a public works vehicle, and while crews were working in the Littlerock area last Thursday, they noticed it was missing.
[iframe https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d38257.462468647005!2d-117.94699462843445!3d34.57691113111128!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x80c2ffdb7b911037%3A0x94c5f2b25beea71d!2s110th%20St%20E%20%26%20E%20Ave%20R%204%2C%20California%2093543!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1702936385841!5m2!1sen!2sus allowfullscreen="" height="450" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" style="border:0" width="600"]Lee said, "We really don't know what happened to it. It was in the truck bed of one of our vehicles, and then our technician realized that it wasn't there... we went house to house in the immediate vicinity trying to locate anyone who might have known the whereabouts of it."
L.A. DPW also works with local, state, and federal authorities to locate the device.
A $1,000 reward is being offered for the device's return, and authorities urged anyone with information to call 911 immediately- but if you find it, whatever you do, don't try to break it open!
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
